周日，中国载人潜水器蛟龙号完成了今年雅浦海沟的第一潜，潜水深度4,177米。虽然蛟龙号适宜在恶劣环境下作业，但是雨水还是加大了这次潜水的难度。
China's manned submersible Jiaolong conducted its first dive this year in the Yap Trench on Sunday, reaching a depth of 4,177 meters.
Jiaolong began diving at 8:43 a.m. local time on a rainy day. Even though the submersible was designed to be fit for operation under bad weather conditions, the rain did make the dive more difficult, according to Wang Xiangxin, a staff member on board.
Manned submersible Jiaolong is put into the sea to conduct its first dive in the Yap Trench, June 4, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
"We cannot hear each other clearly due to the rain, so we have to be extra careful during the operation," Wang said.
There will be five dives for Jiaolong in the Yap Trench, and the last dive is scheduled to be conducted on June 12.
The dives will focus on research in deep-sea biotic communities and gene resources, according to Xinhua News Agency citing scientists on the ship.
Jiaolong completed a series of dives in the Mariana Trench on June 1.
The Mariana and Yap trenches are located in the western Pacific Ocean. The Yap Trench has a depth of 8,527 meters, and the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point of Earth's oceans, has a depth of 11,034 meters.
Manned submersible Jiaolong is put into the sea to conduct its first dive in the Yap Trench, June 4, 2017. /Xinhua Photo
This is the third and final stage of China's 38th oceanic scientific expedition, which started February 6 and is scheduled to finish on June 18. The two previous stages were successfully completed in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
Sunday's operation marked Jiaolong's 148th dive.
Named after a mythical dragon, Jiaolong reached its deepest point of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012.
(Source: Xinhua)
